Brothers in Arms Prequel: Going Back
by Devils That Cry
Summary: The prequel to the BIA series, set after DMC1 Dante is fighting the consuming guilt of his brother’s death and visits an old…not quite sane friend to help him to go back and change the past.
1. Grief, Insanity & Shattered Reflections

Its Morwen again with great news:

Arow is back in the writing field so we should be updating the rest of the series pretty soon.

But until then here's a prequel to the Brothers in Arms series I started a while ago, although Arow did most of the writing for it.

Here we go

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**Brothers in Arms Prequel: Going Back**

Summary: The prequel to the BIA series, set after DMC1 Dante is fighting the consuming guilt of his brother's death and visits an old…not quite sane friend to help him to go back and change the past.

Disclaimer: Morwen owns Vergil, Arow owns Dante, Capcom owns us all…well apart from Druce…he is Arow's…I just play around with him at times

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**Brothers in Arms Prequel: Going Back**

**Chapter 1: Grief, insanity and shattered reflections**

No, not again…please not again…I want to run…hide from what I know is coming…no there is nowhere to run…no escape from the void I am in…yes, I am in the middle of nothingness…a black void…I am alone, but not for long…he is coming…I can feel it…I have never wanted to run from anything but I have never feared anything like I do him and the truth of his words.

He is standing opposite me a smug smirk on his otherwise indifferent face…a face so similar yet so different to my own…he knows what he does to me…I hate and fear it…he loves it.

"Vergil," I say before I have a chance to think…it is how it always starts, nothing can change that…I want to say something else, perhaps if I started differently the conversation would be different…no it cannot change, I know what will happen, yet I hate it.

"How dare you speak my name, you have no right," the acid in his voice burns me, it is always the same, it has been since I…since I got back from Mallet a month ago…I know I can't take much more of it.

"Please brother…" please don't let this be repeated.

"Brother? My brother was dead to me the second his blade hit…_you_ _are my_ _murderer_," I have heard these words so many times yet they always have the same effect…I know they are true but I cannot accept this truth, "You killed me."

"No," I try to deny pointlessly, "You…you gave me no choice…" it is futile to argue but I try all the same…it cannot change…it will never change.

"_We were brothers_, you _murdered_ me," I cannot bear the loathing in his voice…it is too much.

"I could have helped you…you never let me…" I see it again…I run to grab him but draw back as Yamato slices my hand…I watch him fall…I _let_ him fall, "I tried," I whisper, wanting to convince myself more than anything.

"You _should_ have tried harder, you _could_ have tried harder," I cannot block his words…no comeback that can justify my actions, I'm not even going to try, I never try.

"I was foolish, selfish, prideful," I want to change the next words but I cannot and I dread the words that follow, "Forgive me," I know I don't deserve forgiveness…I murdered my twin…he will _never_ forgive me.

"Forgive you?" his roaring laughter cute me deep and he knows it, "Forgive you, _brother_? No I would prefer to watch the guilt consume you," too late, guilt has already taken me, I can only stare as the fatal wounds appear, blood dripping down his body, my tears join the crimson liquid pooling at our feet, "I am going to enjoy watching you die from grief and I will laugh as you go insane with the knowledge that you murdered me, your own blood, your own _twin_. _I will never forgive you_."

"No," I call as he fades, "I can change it…I can go back…"

I am back, in my own little room in my own little world…I killed him, the guilt is becoming too much, something no amount of drink or demon fighting can help to lessen the pain…

I killed my twin, when I close my eyes I can still see his face as my sword hit him…I killed him…I killed part of me too…things could have been different, i am going mad thinking of all the 'what ifs'…visualising all the ways I could have helped him…saved him…I have even written a list…a long list that I add to every day…I am going mad…I know I am…I don't care…there is nothing for me to care about now…my vengeance has been dealt…I have nothing now…perhaps my insanity will bring a swift death…or a padded cell…I just want the guilt and pain to end…spend the rest of eternity in nothingness.

My family has gone, I am the only one left…I am alone…loneliness is a strong feature in everyone's life…everyone will die…or get killed…like I killed…I go to the bathroom to try and wash away the nightmare, but it still haunts me…_he_ haunts me…in the mirror I do not see my own reflection…I haven't since…for a month…I am in no photo I possess, it is just him. His eyes accuse me…follow me wherever I turn…no matter where I look he has taken my image, he is right to do so, why should a murderer like me be able to see myself after killing someone who was once so close to me…I killed him…we shared the same blood, the same soul…my soul is dead…my blood spilt…he is everywhere I turn, rightfully accusing me of his death…I killed him…he is dead because of me…I can't do anything about it…I can find a way…I can go back…I _will_ change it…I have to.

I am essentially a good person. I kill the monsters that would do harm to people…

_I am a monster…_

I try to follow in my father's footsteps, to spare humanity of the horrors in the Underworld…

_Horrors my brother faced alone…I watched him fall over the edge into darkness…_

Everything was fine at first; I had stopped Mundus, just like my father had. I had killed something…a…a shadow of what my brother once was…at least that's what I had tried to convince myself of.

Trish and I had got away, I even changed the name of my shop, I was happy, we worked on the calls we got…I was proud of myself.

I didn't know where it went wrong, the nightmare disturbed me at first, I didn't tell Trish, it was stupid, but then it wouldn't stop, every night it haunted me, I stopped sleeping, it affected me…then Trish got hurt because I was too exhausted to help her, let alone help myself.

She was okay, but she gave me a lecture, I blew her off though, not sure where I went, I didn't even remember falling to sleep until I woke up in an alley somewhere, even in exhausted sleep the dream got to me.

I didn't understand it, I still never told Trish, I just kept pushing her away until one time she left and didn't come back, I saw her leave, I don't know what I said to her, it wasn't until the door closed that I realised I had a smoking Ebony in my hand. That shook me up even worse.

I didn't leave the shop after that, I couldn't bring myself to kill any more demons…I remember the day Trish came back…I barely took any notice…

/Flashback/

_He sat on the floor, head resting back on the wall, it was light out but he struggled to stay awake. Ebony was held loosely in his hands, Ivory was on the desk, he didn't feel right holding the white weapon he had designed to represent the light._

_Ebony and Ivory, the light and the dark. Eternal balance. He deserved no such balance._

_Someone tried the door handle but it was locked, closed for business._

"_Dante?" her voice called, he looked up, it took him too long to recognise the voice, he was really loosing his mind. "Dante I know you're in there, let me in," Trish paused, "I could easily break down the door so just let me in, it'll save having to get a new door…again."_

_Her attempt at humour flew right past him, so she could get in if she wanted, it changed nothing._

"_Dante please…Dante…"_

_The silence stretched, she was still there, he could sense her._

_The phone decided to break the tranquil moment, it rung once, so did Ebony, the resounding gunshot silenced the phone, he smirked, strangely satisfied._

_He woke up from the dream with a start, he cursed himself for falling asleep again, it as dark out, the door was still there…had he imagined Trish? No the phone was in pieces at the other side of the room…he vaguely wondered how long she had been there before leaving._

_/End Flashback/_

I needed a way to change it. I went over the dream again, it was always the same, it couldn't be changed.

"_I can change it, I can go back"_

"Go back?" I mumble tiredly, trying to think about those words.

What if I could? Why would I say that? There has to be a reason…reason…I'm lacking that nowadays.

No, I shake my head, I'm not going off on an insanity hike. I wont. I can try to go back.

Go back where?

"_Where else my boy? Back to the beginning."_

The beginning of what? Wait…I'm hearing voices now? No, a memory, I've had the conversation before, but when? With who? Why can't I remember?

Frustration welled within me, I punched the mirror and sliced up my hand but it healed in seconds.

I wish I could just kill myself, but I could barely hurt myself…I've tried…I just heal too quick…even when I've forced myself to not heal, it doesn't work…

No I can't think like that…I have to think…I have to remember…

Drud…Drad…Drake…Druce…Druce. Yes, Druce the Tempus Mage, that crack pot I had helped, the man who made all the time god statues…I visited so often…before…

Yes, he believed he could mess with time, that you could go back.

"_Everything that has a beginning has an end. Go back and change that beginning is to change the outcome of that end…"_

If I could go back, to before I lost Vergil…I could change it…I could have my brother back.

I was filed with a new determined fire, a hope. I had a chance if it could be done…

It _could_ be done, why else would I have said it in the dream? Was I just grasping at straws? No, I could do this. I would do this.

I glance at my shattered reflection and for the first time in a long time, I saw me.

With grim determination I grab my coat and a selection of my obscure arsenal and simply kicked down the door, it didn't matter, if this worked none of this would matter, it would have happened.

'_Change the beginning to change the outcome of the end'_

I set out east toward the rising sun.

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	2. Times Obscure Maker

Here's the 2nd part of the fic, enjoy

It is a total opposite of the first chapter

Druce belongs to Arow

(shakes head) funny guy

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**Brothers in Arms Prequel: Going Back**

**Chapter 2: Times Obscure Maker**

Dante walked up the long drive, the sun casting the cold shadow of the large mansion over him as he walked up to the door and banged his fist against it hard, forgoing the bell to his left, his patience wearing thin, his desperation and madness reflected brightly in his dull eyes.

An explosion was heard from deep within the house before the door was opened by a frazzled looking man with grey frizzy hair, covered in soot and…was that cheese in his beard?

"What, what? Who are you?" The man blinked rapidly.

It took Dante a few moments to understand what he had said and formulate an answer, "Er…its Dante…"

The man blinked several times again and seemed to go into a daze, "Oh yes, of course my boy, come in come in."

Dante stepped through the threshold into the lush hallway.

"Hmm what can I do for you? Would you like some cheese? I was just maturing some but it exploded more than matured, but its still good," he picked some out of his beard and munched on it happily drawing a wince of disgust from Dante, "Mmm good stuff this, yes, yes, the greatest thing sheep can give us."

Dante blinked, "Cows."

"Sorry what?" Druce inquired walking into the lounge beckoning Dante to follow him.

"Cheese comes from cows," he replied.

Druce turned to him, "Cows? Who said anything about cows? I was talking about cheese."

At this point Dante just gave up, he didn't know when the time mage had gone nuts but it made him more determined not to go down the insanity path…he really didn't want to turn out like that.

"Never mind all that, I came here for your help," Dante stepped forward.

Druce frowned a little, "What can I do for you my boy?" he smiled and wandered off, Dante followed him perplexed by the old man's mood swings.

"I need to go back and change the past."

Druce stopped and turned to Dante once more, "Very dangerous playing with the time line," he spoke quite sanely.

Dante looked at him levelly, "I need to do this, you're supposed to be a time mage, can you send me back or not?" he snapped.

Druce got a glazed look in his eyes, "Yes I can, difficult but tea and biscuits will do fine."

Dante blinked and followed the deranged mage into the basement of the mansion. He couldn't seem to think, his mind was in turmoil, what if this worked? What if it didn't?

"Have you ever sent anyone back in time before?" he inquired frowning a little.

"Oh yes," Druce answered, "Went back in time myself. An interesting story, I'll tell you some time…it was a normal day, I made my self a cup of tea and began to read this spell. It was then that I realised my tea had gone cold so I tried the spell and went back ten minutes," he said with excitement, "but I was so excited about the spell working my tea went cold again," he sighed, "Would you like some tea?"

"No, I just want to time travel," Dante said with a hint of irritance.

Druce continues to descend into the basement, Dante followed dubiously behind him.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs the room opened out before them, it was surprisingly bright for a basement, the room was strewn with candles which seemed to never burn down, probably due to some time spell.

The floor was slate black and drawn in white in the centre was a pentacle within a variety of strange languages scrawled around the outside forming the circle.

An old wooden desk stood at the end of the room, strewn with books and scrolls, but other than that the room was void.

"Now we must prepare for the ritual," Druce clapped his hands joyfully.

He walked over to the desk and opened one of the draws and pulled out a staff, a six foot long staff, Dante blinked, more magic, there was no way that staff could have fit in that draw.

Druce raised the pewter staff, at its top it bore the coiled snake eating its own tail, Ouroborous, the symbol of eternity, and in the centre was a sapphire, its dark hue seemed to radiate light.

"What exactly does this ritual entail?" Dante asked as he stood on the edge of the circled star.

"Quite simple really," Druce answered, "You stay there, now, put your left arm in, put your left arm out. In, out, in, out…"

"Hold it," Dante frowned retracting his arm, "Is this necessary?"

Druce smiled broadly, "Well no, I just thought it would be fun to watch you do the hokey kokey."

Dante scowled at the old man, "I have no time to play games gramps," he growled.

"Oh no, we have all the time in the world," he waved his staff for emphasis.

Dante sighed and looked away, maybe this was a bad idea, maybe he should've just gone and tried to kill himself, maybe…

"Do you truly know what you ask of me?" The question snapped him out of his downward spiral.

"Yes," he replied without a second thought.

"If you do this, if you go back and change the line of events and change the future that is now, you will cease to be when the timeline adheres to the change of events."

The morbid undertone in the mage's voice startled Dante slightly but he had all but expected that, he was willing to risk it all for a second chance.

"I know. But I would rather die there than stay here knowing I never tried," the pain must have showed on his face as Druce smiled sympathetically; Dante looked away, he did not need pity.

"Right then," Druce shouted, his bout of sanity lost, "Stand in the star and we can start," he waved his staff and with a word the candle flames flickered blue and the white chalk pentagram began to glow, the eerie glow casting strange shadows as Dante took his instructed position.

"Now, all you need to do is think of the time you wish to go back to, forget what you want for dinner, and how much that doggie in the window is, just think where you wish to be, nothing else, I don't want to have to clean up the exploded mess you'll leave if you don't."

Dante ignored the old man and concentrated, he wanted to go back, before Temen-ni-gru, before Vergil was all but consumed by his lust for power. He barely noticed that Druce had begun chanting in words of a long forgotten language flowing from his mouth like a stream.

Dante felt his body lift off the ground but he kept his mind on the place he wanted to be, just a street over from his shop, before all the chaos, before he lost his brother to darkness.

Even with his eyes closed the brightness of the blue light invaded his sight, but still he thought of nothing but going back.

He suddenly felt lighter, the world around him seemed to heave, the chant reaching its crescendo, the light got brighter and brighter but he let only one thought repeat in his mind, '_I can change it, I can go back_'.

His world became nothing but blue light and ancient words, then the tension snapped and he fell.

Druce slumped to the floor, exhausted, the power needed for such a spell taxed his aged body.

"You will change it, you have gone back, for better or worse you will change it, you will save him…but can you save yourself?" He pulled himself to his feet with great effort and leaned heavily on his staff as he made for the stairs and a well deserved cup of tea.

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Druce: ok that's it for this fic folks. Please leave some cheese and a nice cup of tea if you liked this and want to see me return later in the series. If not…sod off.

(snicker) me and Arow have never been ableto look at cheese in the same way since...especailly mature cheese...


	3. Out Takes

AN: of we really couldn't think of any outtakes for chapter 1 because of its more depressive nature, but we managed to think of ones for chapter two.

So here we go…

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Dante walked up the long drive, the sun casting the cold shadow of the large mansion over him as he walked up to the door and banged his fist against it hard, forgoing the bell to his left, he banged hard again and the door caved in under the force.

Dante turned and glared at the prop man, the first of many of the poor guy's mistakes.

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An explosion was heard from deep within the house before the door was opened by a frazzled looking man with grey frizzy hair, covered in soot and…was that cheese in his beard?

"What, what? Who are you?" The man blinked rapidly.

Dante just stared at him blankly a moment and then burst out laughing at his appearance.

"CUT" The director yelled.

It took a few hours for the nearly insane Dante to calm down and be able to look at the man without laughing but it took a few hours longer for him to actually say his line without cracking a large cheesy grin.

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"Mmm good stuff this, yes, yes, the greatest thing goats can give us."

Dante remained silent.

Druce stopped and looked at him, "Your line."

Dante shook his head, my line technically doesn't make sense now, cuz you can get cheese from goats"

Druce blinked. "I thought we were talking about cows?"

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"Never mind all that, I came here for your help," Dante stepped forward.

Druce frowned a little, "How can I do you my boy?"

Dante stared at him blankly and everyone on set burst out laughing.

Druce blinked, unable to see where he had gone wrong until he looked at the script. He shrugged and went back in time a few minutes to restart the scene without error.

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"Quite simple really," Druce answered, "You stay there, now, put your left arm in, put your left arm out. In, out, in, out…"

As soon as he started instructing him the old CD of children's party songs came to life from the nearby CD player and Druce started dancing away happily.

"CUT"

Still Druce kept dancing, until he was sedated and taken off to the nearest mental institution and was put in a padded cell and lived happily ever after.

It took months of finding another suitable nut before this scene could be finished.

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hmm the last one sounds a little like BIA 3…taking forever to finish…

ah well I AM poking Arow into finishing the final fight as soon as her muse decides to return

stupid muse.

And I am working on the outtakes for BIA2 as well

so something should be posted soon...i hope...


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